Hedgehogs of the Brush
by Nio Hashiri's Riddles
Summary: After a Chaos Control failure, Shadow and Silver find themselves in the land of Nippon helping a sun goddess restore life to its land. What's more, what is this "betrayal" she speaks of that has resulted in Sonic allying himself with the monstrous Orochi? What will happen next? Can the three heroes of the Gods defeat the oncoming darkness? [Takes place in Okami and Okamiden]
1. Beginning of a New Adventure

**Scroll I Chapter I – Beginning of a New Adventure**

 _Long, long ago, Nippon stood as an example of a peaceful society who co-existed with nature and the elements, showing that people and gods could live peacefully side-by-side. However, it wasn't long before this changed. A darkened deity, called Yamato-no-Orochi, crashed onto Earth, upsetting the balance in nature and spread its corruptive evil everywhere. For 100 years, it demanded a human sacrifice on the Night of the Full Moon from a nearby hamlet called Kamiki Village._

 _The villagers of Kamiki were struck unaware by the beast's demands, but they dared not disobey. During this troubled time, a proud and majestic white wolf would patrol the village. The villagers dubbed this strange lupine "Shiranui" and expressed hatred towards him, fearing him to be Orochi's familiar; the one who would size up the next sacrificial maiden. On the eve of the 100_ _th_ _festival since Orochi's ritual began, the heralding arrow plunged its shaft into the house of the beautiful Nami. Nagi, a fellow resident and, harbouring a secret love for Nami, instead travelled to Orochi's lair, the Moon Cave, in Nami's place._

 _The two got into a desperate battle, but Nagi was no match for Orochi. Just as Orochi headed for the kill, Shiranui appeared and battled Orochi, commanding divine powers to counter Orochi's dark ones. The battle was long and difficult. Almost spent and using the last ounce of his courage, Shiranui howled at the moon, making its rays bless Nagi's sword. With newfound strength and courage, Nagi proceeded to defeat Orochi, dismembering each of its 8 heads from their owner. However, the battle had taken a grim turn for Shiranui, having been poisoned by Orochi. Nagi took Shiranui back to Kamiki, but nothing could be done to save the wolf's life. In honour of him, the village built a shrine underneath the trunk of their divine tree, Konohana. For another 100 years, peace returned to Kamiki and Nippon on a whole._

 _However, that is not the end of the story. In fact, most of the story is unknown to many. 100 years after the exploits of Shiranui and Nagi, a new chapter will be written. The tale of good versus evil, light versus darkness, yin versus yang…and day versus night._

XO

The Moon Cave wasn't a place to investigate. Echoes of battles past and evil spirits still haunted the untouched stone walls; ancient roars could be heard in the caverns and empty rooms that once belonged to Orochi's demon army. In that darkness, a figure stalked the shadows; his form cascaded in darkness, eyes sharp but unsure. He stood before Tsukuyomi, eying the sword with some kind of dislike in his eyes.

"Is this the legendary sword?" He spoke to himself suspiciously. A tone of disappointment hung in his gruff voice. "Is this Tsukuyomi, the sword that defeated the dreaded Orochi?" He was silent for a moment before shaking his head and grabbing the hilt of the legendary blade. "No…no, it couldn't be…it's just a legend. Nothing but a fairy tale!" The hilt suddenly pulled out, as the blade left the rock Nagi had left it in a century ago. Something pierced the darkness. A pair of eyes. Another pair. Six more appeared. He dropped the sword in fear and ran as eight massive serpent heads reared to his face as he tripped and fell onto his back.

"O he who seeks power, he who has broken my bonds…" The demon began, eight voices speaking at once. "…speak the words "I wish darkness upon the world". Utter that prayer upon me and unleash my power." There was a suspenseful silence as the man stared deep into the demon's eyes and, after a yell of anguish, he turned tail and fled out of the Moon Cave as a massive roar came from behind him as a dark mist consumed the sky above. Harami Lake, the peaceful loch that surrounded the cave, took on the poisonous air, the tides turning into a deep indigo that reflected the blood moon above. The demon, realizing he couldn't leave the cave (and would have no reason to), only smirked a fanged smile as he awaited the moment that the entirety of Nippon would be covered in his evil magic.

XO

"OK, so Rao tells me to go to the damn city to see some damn queen but she doesn't tell how to get to the damn palace…" In the semi-busy streets of the Commoners' Quarter of Sei'an City, which one could determine as the capital, a black hedgehog (wearing a cloak to disguise himself) walked through the crowds. Underneath, he had red stripes, eyes and features. He also had a power that allowed him to bend energy, earning him a friendship with a priestess called Rao, who was good at dispelling spirits. He wasn't used to keeping a low profile, but once he made it onto the long bridge leading to the Aristocrats' Quarter; he discarded the robe and headed towards a large palace at the end of the city. "This should be it. Wish Rao would give me SOME detail as to what is going on in this damn city." He sighed annoyingly. "God, I need to stop saying that word.

 _ **Warrior of the Chaos - Shadow the Hedgehog**_

As the guards let him pass, a woman, probably one of the queen's handmaiden, who was dressed in a purple robe was waiting for him, bowing.

"Welcome, Shadow. Her Royal Highness is waiting for you on the top floor. Please accept this." She handed him a red token on a chain. "It will help you bypass Her Highness's security."

"Thank you…I suppose." He slowly walked inside and took the elevator up. He managed to get to the "security" the maiden was token about. 3 rooms full of smoking hot lava. Yeah, LAVA. "Holy smokes…now I see why she gave me that…how the heck did Himiko install rooms of LAVA of all things!?" He felt the token glow and he dipped his finger into the lava, expecting him to scream in agony. Sure, the liquid was hot, but not lava hot. Knowing it to be safe, he dived in and emerged out of the other side, shaking the lava remnants out of his fur before safely removing the token. "Ow ow ow! Boiling hot…but at least I'm not fried hedgehog." He at last entered the throne room. It was eerily lit and a curtain was down at the end of the room with a kneeling figure on the other side. "Um…hello…Queen Himiko…?

"Ah, black hedgehog, you have received my summons. Please, come forward." Came the reply. Shadow did as he was told. The curtain slowly lifted as the woman turned around, a prayer leaf covering her face.

"U-Uh…thank you for seeing me Your High…" Himiko removed the prayer leaf from her face, earning in Shadow's voice becoming non-existent. "…ness…" He felt his cheeks become hot and red. _This girl is HOT!_

 **Queen of Sei'an City - Himiko**

"I have my reasons for summoning you, Shadow." Himiko began, not noticing the lack of attention. She slightly changed position, almost in trepidation. "My assistant has spoken of your tale of another world beyond our own, and of your kind. Mobans, I believe?"

"Mobians." Shadow corrected. "I originate from the world Mobius…until I got transported here 3 months ago for reasons unknown even to myself."

"Maybe this is because of the evil I have seen coming from Shinshu Field to the East. I sense the vile evil that belongs to only one demon: Orochi himself." Shadow shivered at this. He had heard the legend from Rao, but he hadn't imagined the legend was actually true. Himiko seemed to know he knew. "I presume you have heard of this name. Orochi was a demon who plagued the citizens of Eastern Nippon for a century until he was sealed away by Shiranui and Nagi. Now, he has returned…yet I cannot sense who or what has caused the seal to break. Needless to say, everyone everywhere is in danger…but I know with your powers we can defeat this evil."

"As much as I hate to disagree with you, Your Majesty, I don't see how I can do this alone. Maybe if Sonic and Silver were here but…"

"Sonic and Silver?"

"My brothers."

"Let me consult my crystal ball. Maybe it can tell me where they are." A giant cyan crystal that was hanging behind Himiko's shrine floated down to her, the surface misting as Himiko searched into the future. She noticed Shadow's confused expression and gently smiled. "This crystal is the heirloom of my people: the Yamatai Clan. With it, any evil who comes before me is powerless. Needless to say, this mystic object is the key to my safety." She squinted into the mist. "I do see one of your brothers…a white hedgehog with amber markings…I presume this to be Silver?"

Shadow nodded. "Yes, where is he?"

"By what I can see, he seems to be in the Northern Lands of Kamui, off the coast of Shinshu Field. As for your other brother…I can't seem to locate him, though my spirit tells me he is in close proximity to Shinshu Field. It could be he's in Kamiki, but I cannot see that far East. Something seems to block my magic. Most likely, he'll be in Kamiki Village to the West of Shinshu Field. I hope this was useful to you."

"Yes, it was. Thank you, Your Majesty." He gratefully bowed. He had to. Himiko, as hot as she was, was still a queen.

"It was my pleasure. I'm sure you can find your way. If not, ask Yoishi at the City Checkpoint. He'll assist you." Shadow nodded and left. As soon as he exited the palace, still shaking lava from his fur, he gazed towards the sky, a nervous lump in his throat.

"I hope those two are OK…"

XO

"Silver! Any luck?" Silver looked up at the fox-masked Oina, worry in his eyes. They were trying to find a 7 year old Oina called Lika, who had disappeared the previous night much to everyone's panic.

"Nothing! I haven't the slightest idea where she's run off to."

 _ **Warrior of the Future - Silver the Hedgehog**_

"This is just great." The Oina, Kai, muttered, her heart desperately sinking in despair.

 _ **Oina Girl - Kai**_

"Any luck, Kai?" A new voice came. Out from a house near to the edge of Laochi Lake came an owl-masked Oina with owls on her headpiece. She was the Priestess of the Wawku Shrine, often referred to as the Temple of Time. Despite looking like a boy, she was definitely a girl.

 _ **Oina Shaman - Tuskle**_

"No, Tuskle…no sign of Lika anywhere." Her voice immediately promoted her anxiety and sorrow. Tuskle placed her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"We mustn't lose our heads. Lika cannot have gone far. She's a smart Oina, Kai. She can't have gone too far." She comforted. Kai only shrugged. Silver came back up from the lake. He was a 14 year old white-furred hedgehog with amber eyes and innate psychic abilities. It was one of the reasons that he was close with Tuskle.

"Maybe she's around Nippon?" He suggested, getting two confused glances. "Maybe she found that passage?"

"It is worth a look…maybe you're right, though, if she has, she's either brave or foolish." She nodded herself out of her self-monologue. "Yes, Silver, you go to Nippon and have a good look, but be careful of demons. We'll continue to look around Kamui and Wep'Keer. I shall also search the shrine…as dangerous as it is to do so…"

"Tuskle, I doubt Lika could enter the shrine without you noticing."

"A lot of things can happen in a heartbeat, Kai."

"Demons, demons, yes, you've told me a thousand times, Tuskle." Silver ignored the girls' exchange, cracking his knuckles together in readiness, confidence in his bright amber gaze. "I can take them!"

"I'll escort you to the entrance of the passage, OK?" Kai suggested, transforming into a wolf, which was an Oina ability and headed towards Kamui's exit. Silver followed through teleportation, hugged Kai goodbye and disappeared down a dark tunnel towards Kamui's southern sister, Nippon.

XO

"U…ugh…man, my head…" Everything definitely ached. His limbs, head, even opening his eyes brought on pain. He eventually managed to stand and he looked around. He examined himself. Blue hedgehog. Green eyes. He still looked normal. He looked around a second time, scratching his head. He was in the Moon Cave but it seemed different. How did he know this place? "Why does this place look familiar…?" Almost on cue, the ground rumbled as a thrashing monster emerged from the ground, sixteen red eyes glinting in the darkness of the cave's open-top throne room (if you can call it that).

"Well, what have we got here…?" The creature spoke. Sonic somehow recognised the demon from somewhere. The name "Orochi" flashed into his mind alongside more head pain. He wished he had painkillers on him in the form of some headache tablets. "If it isn't the little blue demi-god…what a surprise." He was being sarcastic.

"D-Demi…g-god…?" He stuttered but then chuckled cockily. "Sorry, mate, I think you have the wrong guy. My name's Sonic."

 _ **Warrior of the Wind - Sonic the Hedgehog**_

"Do you think I care about your name?"

"No, but you'll remember it when I kick you into high heaven."

"Such spirit…it's a shame." Sonic pulled a confused look. "Considering you have been betrayed…I'm confused as to why you still smile…unless you don't remember how they let Nagi seal you away with my remains." Now it all came back. Him fighting Orochi with Shadow, Silver and some white-haired wolf girl with some green bug on her head, hanging on for dear life.

"Seal away…? I remember fighting you! Nagi, or whatever that guy's name is, literally beheaded you eight-fold…but then I remember everything going white…then a blank."

"Like I said, you got sealed away." He sounded irritated. "It's been a while since we got released; a couple of hours at least. But that's history. What's important is the here and now…you have a choice hedgehog. Face your treacherous brethren alone…or with my support."

"…Your support?"

"What if I told you I could give you 15 different skills that will make you invincible?"

"I'd walk away slowly, thanking you and then run away screaming like a little girl." Moment of silence. Orochi blinked at the hedgehog in disbelief.

"Oh, are we cracking jokes now?"

"Heh, maybe…but back on track: what kind of skills?

"As…ugh…Shiranui called them…Celestial Brush Techniques. I happen to possess them in a darkened and twisted form. They are 5 times as deadly as the originals. Shiranui…or Amaterasu…has non-deadly versions…but these I shall grant you shall rise you above the rest of the puny gods of the Celestial sky." Sonic thought about this carefully. He was intrigued by these so called Brush Techniques. Maybe he steal them to share with Shadow and Silver?

"Alright then. Let's check these "powers" out." Orochi blew 15 lilac will'o'wisps out of his mouth like a dragon. They encircled Sonic, bouncing in mid-air like spirits. With every explanation, they flew into Sonic, each one filling him from head to toe of confidence, power and strength.

"Rejuvenation turns to Destruction. Power Slash to Slash of Might. Sunrise to Sunset. Bloom to Wither. Water Lily to Water Walk. Cherry Bomb to Boom Bomb. Vine to Lasso. Waterspout to Flood. Crescent to Eclipse. Galestorm to Hurricane. Inferno to Firestorm. Veil of Mist to Mist of Time. Catwalk to Wall Walk. Thunderstorm to Electrostorm and finally, Blizzard to Icestorm. With each technique comes knowledge of its uses, how to use it and each power's weaknesses. I assume you'll remember all this?"

"You bet I will." A paintbrush manifested in his hand as he twisted it skilfully. "I think we have a deal, Orochi. I'll join you. If what you say is true…" He was about to claim there was in way in hell he would ever believe it when harsh memories ran through his head. Memories of him yelling for help, promising revenge before everything disappeared in obscurity. "I remember…splitting into some sort of spirit form. I was screaming in pain…yelling in anger but they did NOTHING. They LEFT me." A deep growl came from him, one that made Orochi nervous. THAT was a first. "Oh man, are they gonna pay." His voice deepened as his entire body began changing. His fur began a darker shade of blue, navy to be exact as black holy markings crossed his head, around his eyes and body. Fangs and claws formed as a evil smirk crossed his face, making Orochi lean forward to see what he was about to say. He needn't have worried as Sonic lent out a clawed hand, the material around his fingers having ripped from the transformation. "We have an alliance, correct?"

"So we do." Orochi's Dark head formed a hand of dark mist and the two shook hands, both evilly grinning and chuckling as their twin laughs echoed throughout the cave ominously.

XO

"Well…Himiko told me they would be here…" Shadow told himself. He had reached Shinshu Field but hadn't seen either one of his brothers, until he passed by the guardian sapling. Sleeping under the cherry blossoms was Silver. "Silver!" This yell was enough to wake the young hedgehog up. He yawned and noticed his big brother.

"Shadow!" The two briefly hugged. "Have you seen Sonic anywhere?"

"No, I haven't…which is odd now you mention it. Himiko speculated he would be in Kamiki…"

"Himiko?"

"The Queen of the City to the west."

"Oh, I get it. I'm on a mission of my own. You haven't seen a young girl in a leaf mask, have you?"

"No."

Silver looked crushed. "Damn…Kai is gonna be heartbroken…that girl is her little sister, Lika. Only about 7. Suddenly, she runs off." Shadow didn't like seeing his brother upset and placed his hand on his shoulder, smiling.

"She can't have gone far…that being said, the sooner we find Sonic as well, the better. I'm worried about him."

"I don't see why. He can handle himself."

"Can he?"

"Mostly."

"Let's check out the village…Himiko said he might be there, like I said." Before they could start, the ground softly rumbling as a harsh and chilling wind blew in their direction. The sun was suddenly covered in dark clouds as the temperature dropped.

"Better now than later! A storm's coming! And unnaturally fast!"

"Come on then!" The two headed for Kamiki. By now, the visibility wasn't great and all of the houses looked locked, if occupied. A light caught their eye. On a high hill was some pink and white glow, almost like it was a beacon lighting its way through the sudden stormy night.

"What's that up there? Some light-show?" Silver asked, badly shivering.

"Let's follow it. It's a good survival tactic." Shadow took off, followed by Silver. They headed up the hill, went left and ended up into a small clearing with only a statue visible. The glow was gone. The sky changed even more dramatically; with red swirling mist and rocks encircling the area around them and the strange statue. Shadow looked at it more closely. It was Shiranui.

"Now where are we?" Silver asked Shadow, who had noticed one of the rocks had pulled away from the others and was headed towards Silver like a comet.

"Silver, MOVE!" He roughly tackled Silver to the ground in panic as the rock shot over them, barely missing Silver's head. Shadow got off his brother. "You OK!?"

"Yeah, before I got rugby-tackled."

"Sorry, but that rock…" He stopped. "That rock! The statue!" He prepared to see a stony mess but only saw a black-haired girl floating in front of the statue, which was somehow unharmed, which must have meant the rock had just missed. The girl had their back to them, having not noticed their presence.

"How troublesome…this is just like the ancient prophecy of doom." She muttered to herself. "What has transpired to bring about such calamity? We must act quickly! There is no time to lose!"

"Are you talking to us?" Shadow called, making the girl turn around. She gasped in horror.

"Oh my! You startled me! My apologies for my behaviour, O Hedgehog Heroes." She bowed in apology.

"Liking the title, bro." Silver teased, grinning. Shadow only rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, titles aside, who are you?"

"I am the spirit inside the village's guardian tree, Konohana. My name is Sakuya."

 _ **Wood Sprite - Sakuya**_

"Sakuya?" Shadow repeated, impressed. _She's just as hot as Himiko and Rao…_

 _He's thinking of perverted thoughts again…_ Silver thought but then thought of something."Do you know where our brother is?"

"No, I do not." Sakuya replied sadly. "I apologise. I summoned you three here and one of them has gotten lost in the void of time…"

"Time!? Is he not in the same time period as us?" Shadow got alerted by that.

"It would seem not…unless I'm wrong. He might have been consumed by the curse…or maybe…something else has happened…" Panic filled both brothers.

"Positive thoughts…positive thoughts…" Silver mumbled to himself, taking deep breaths because panic was making him hyperventilate.

"This world needs a hero. However, my power has diminished over the years I've spent protecting this area. I don't have much time left in this world." Before the two could say anything, Sakuya made a circle with her hand and made a green disk of sorts, like a shield, that had fire coming from the side like a small cloak. "Amaterasu, now is the time. We have never needed your power more. Shine your divine light upon this broken and polluted world. Let your heavenly rays become our hope as you guide us all!" She threw the disk into the air and fastened onto the back of the Shiranui statue as t glowed white. Inside of a white female wolf like Sakuya intended, standing in the statue's place was a white _Mobian_ with flowing white locks dipped with ebony markings, red markings around her eyes and forehead that was half-covered by her hair, a red and white kimono that reached only the middle of her lower legs, no shoes and a bushy white and black tail that flicked side-to-side with grace. The disk was on her back, fire escaping it like a veil.

 _ **Okami - Amaterasu**_

Sakuya's jaw was slightly open like a fish as she gazed upon the wolf. "That's…not how my magic was meant to work…"

"Whether it worked or not, that was COOL!" Silver beamed, eyes sparkling in amazement. Shadow face-palmed and rolled his crimson eyes.

"You get over-excited way too easily, Silv."

"What is your reason for summoning me, dearest Sakuya?" Amaterasu asked, her voice silvery and shy. Just as Sakuya was about to speak, Shadow burst out into hysterical laughter.

"…Really? "Dearest Sakuya"? That's funny." He continued laughing until Amaterasu eventually lost her temper and struck Shadow down with her weapon, Divine Retribution. He landed on his back. He noticed Silver was struggling to keep a straight face. "Ow!"

"Learn some manners, mortal." She huffed, flicking her hair in a snooty fashion.

"You DID ask for that, Shad."

"Yeah, whatever." Shadow managed to stand.

"As I was saying…" Sakuya raised a hand to get the group's attention. "Look above you, Amaterasu." The wolf did as she was asked, eyes lighting up in alarm as she took in the sky. "Since your untimely departure from our midst, the world has succumbed to devious and vicious beasts. They have ravaged our fine and bountiful country of Nippon...but never have the circumstances been worse than they are at this very moment. Please use your powers to banish the darkness and punish those who would do us harm."

"Orochi, I'm guessing…?" Amaterasu guessed, getting a nod from Sakuya. "I thought that demon was dead…it seems someone has revived him."

"Yeah, "someone"." Shadow got a dark look again. They then noticed Sakuya was laughing and jiggling, making the peach on her chest (maybe or maybe not her breasts) jump up and down (much to Shadow's delight).

"Sakuya? Whatever is wrong?" Amaterasu asked, slightly alarmed.

"Something seems to be in my robes." She managed to get whatever it was out, huffing as she got her breath back from her laughing. "What on earth…?" On the floor lay a green glowing object. "You again?" The creature rolled over, got to its feet (if it had any) and began hopping up and down angrily.

"Ow ow ow! Are you nuts!? Boy, for a little thing, you sure make a big fuss. I was just tryin' to make the conversation a bit more interesting, that's all." The bug explained, as Amaterasu got into a battle stance, clearly not trusting the wisp.

"Were you napping in my clothes again, bug?" Everyone cringed at the perverted suggestion

"Bug!?" The wisp yelled, clearly offended and not commenting on the question asked. "How many times do I have to tell ya not to call me that? I'm a wandering artist. The name's Issun."

 _ **Wandering Artist – Issun**_

"I'll show you how great I am and it won't be long before you bow before my great brush." He threw a scroll to the three Mobians, a small invisible grin on his face as he crossed his arms and smirked. "Well, whattya think? Cuter than the real thing, no?"

"Pretty detailed." Silver commented.

"Pretty beautiful." Amaterasu commented.

"Pretty cute." Shadow commented, getting more dirty looks. "NOT IN THAT SENSE!"

"Glad you all approve of my brushwork." He hopped onto Amaterasu's nose, clearly feeling bigger than she was. "What's with you, cutie? You look a bit down in the dumps. Hang on, those markings…got it! You have the same markings as the hero Shiranui!" That was a mistake.

 _I wonder if bugs taste nice…_ Amaterasu thought as her tummy rumbled. As soon as she placed Issun in her mouth, she spat him back out in disgust. "Bleck, bugs do NOT taste nice. You taste like paint…!"

"Whoa!" He got up and began glowing an angry red. "Whattya think you're doin'? Are you crazy!? A handsome guy like me should never be covered in slobber! And a god or human's too! Gross! You'll regret the day you messed with the great Issun! Don't make me use my sword Denkomaru against you." He whipped his sword around him, earning in a metallic sound being heard. The conversation could have gone further but a massive monster roar interrupted them, loud enough to cause a slight earthquake. Issun jumped onto Amaterasu's head, burying himself in her hair in slight terror. "W-What's that growling sound!? And why is it so dark anyway?" They noticed Sakuya's form looked transparent as well as a white and pink aura surrounded her like lights. The same light Shadow and Silver saw as they entered Kamiki.

"O, great god Amaterasu... I've used all the power I have to protect Kamiki Village. The village lives on. Their spirits lie encased in my fruit. Cut it free, and the village will be reborn!" The lights formed a large withered tree with a golden and beating (somehow) peach-shaped fruit hanging on a branch way up above them. "I trust in you. I know that you will lead us down the right path. Only your awesome power can restore life to the world." The glow dissipated as her form disappeared, leaving only autumn-coloured leaves. It was definitely not the beautiful exit they were expecting from one so acutely in tune with nature, if you went off what she was.

"No pressure then." Amaterasu mumbled to herself, slightly going rigid.

Shadow looked up at the fruit and deeply sighed. "Why encase the village in fruit if it's safe!? This world makes zero logical sense…"

"Agreed." Silver agreed, nodding.

"Hey, you two." She looked slightly crushed somehow. "You don't happen to…I don't know…remember me, do you?"

"Why, have we met before?" Silver asked, scratching his head.

"First I've heard of this." Issun mumbled.

"I'm not sure…you just seem too familiar for it to be a mistake, is all. But there's a third member of your little gang, isn't there? A blue hedgehog?" Shadow and Silver exchanged glances.

"Yes, but we don't know his whereabouts…" Shadow confirmed. Amaterasu nodded sadly.

"I see…" Her reaction seemed to anger Shadow.

"Alright, if you know us, you'll know our names."

"Easy. You're Shadow, the silver hedgehog's Silver and the blue hedgehog is Sonic." Needless to say, both hedgehogs were gobsmacked.

"You…know our names!?" Silver yelled, getting a nervous shrug and a cheesy smile.

"Holy crap…"

"I don't remember much. You were there when I was Shiranui and I defeated Orochi. Most of it is blank due to my state at the time but I remember Sonic was there too…for a few seconds and he was gone with Orochi. I think…" This was news to Shadow and Silver for they didn't remember this. Horror struck Amaterasu's face as a bullet of truth hit her. "…Nagi accidentally sealed him away WITH Orochi!"

"Hang on, that makes no sense!"

"Yeah, it does!" Silver refuted. "Sakuya said Sonic got transported to another time period. We're in this time and he's 100 years in the past…which means he's…" His heart began sinking fast.

"No, he's not. If he got sealed away, it'll be like a cryogenic sleep. He won't age…but he'll be…"

"Angry. Lost. Betrayed." Amaterasu filled in the gaps, fists clenched. "I just hope Orochi hasn't turned him over to the side of the Underworld."

"Uh…as much as I hate to break the _misery_ up, we should get back to the task at hand!" Issun sarcastically called, pointing up at the fruit. "Sakuya or whatever her name is said the villagers' spirits are being kept inside the fruit... That's the fruit. That girl said that if you cut it down, the village will be restored. But it's awfully high up there. If you don't use some kind of special power, there's no way you're gonna reach it."

"The bug has a point." Silver agreed, earning in Issun bouncing red again.

"For the final time, I am NOT a bug! It's Issun, Issun, ISSUN!"

"Keep your yap shut, bug." Came a snarl from Shadow. Issun didn't retort this time, realizing he was fighting a losing battle.

"Why do I bother?" Everyone noticed a glowing white portal at the foot of the tree. Silver did try to go through the gate leading to Kamiki, only to be barred by a red barrier that slightly electrocuted him. It seemed the portal was the only way to anywhere. A look of determination crossed Amaterasu's face, a grin on her muzzle.

"I guess the only thing we can do is go through the portal…!"


	2. Heavenly Betrayal

_**Scroll I Chapter II – Heavenly Betrayal**_

Amaterasu just blinked in surprise when Shadow, Silver and Issun stared at her as if she was crazy. "What?" She asked, irritated. Issun sweat-dropped and bounced angrily.

"Are you absolutely crazy, furball!? We are NOT goin' through that thing!"

"Like we have anywhere else to go, bug." Shadow gestured as Silver, out of pure fear, tried going through the gate back to where Kamiki had been, only to get rebounded back by a slightly-electrified red barrier that flexed like a portal would. That proved Shadow's point.

"Not gonna retort…not gonna retort…" Issun mumbled under his breath, still sitting on Silver's head, arms and legs crossed in annoyance. He hated being called a bug. He hadn't been too affected by the electric rebound.

"Um…can I sit this one out?" Silver volunteered, fearful sweat clearly visible on his face. Amaterasu and Shadow exchanged annoyed glances.

"No." They said in unison. Silver only sighed.

"Damn it."

"Come on Silv, we can take this." Shadow encouraged, smiling. Silver bit his lip.

"If you…" He gulped. "…say so…" Amaterasu had a face of pure irritability on her, her amber eyes narrowed and filled with distaste.

"If all of you mortals are scared silly, you can wait here while _I_ save Nippon." She emphasized the "I". Silver didn't notice this but Shadow did. Rage built up in him.

"Hey-hey-hey!" He called. "We must have been brought here for a reason! Maybe that "reason" is helping you!" Amaterasu stopped at this, staring at Shadow straight in the eye. There was a stony silence for a couple of moments. Both Silver and Issun were holding their breath, waiting for the whole thing to kick off.

"You assisting me will only slow me down." She pointed out. "Besides, I don't want you to get corrupted like your little brother." That is it. Shadow snapped then.

"There is NO evidence to suggest he has been!"

"And there is NO evidence saying he hasn't. Touché stripes."

"You hate me, don't you?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

"Can you two please stop fighting!?" Silver demanded, getting twin surprised and shocked looks. "How are we gonna cut down that fruit if you two are at each other's throats!?" Amaterasu and Shadow looked at each other, faint lightning between the two before they turned away from each other, both huffing at precisely the same moment. Issun breathed a sigh of relief as he wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Well said, fluffball, well said."

 _Fluffball…?_ Silver thought, confusion in his eyes. Issun, nevertheless, continued.

"Now listen up, furball, fluffy…"

"FLUFFY!?" Shadow raged, offended. Amaterasu only giggled before she got a glare. She struggled to regain her composure.

"Sorry. Best nickname in the world, though." Shadow's glare only got darker.

"Can I continue!?" Issun defused the situation. He got attention from all three Mobians. "Thank you. Fluffball's right. We're not gonna get out of this mess unless we work together." Amaterasu and Shadow did the glaring thing again before finally sighing to defuse themselves.

"…Fine…" They muttered in unison, not facing the other.

"Thanks Issun." Silver thanked. Issun bounced on his head, a small grin on his face.

"No prob, my fluffball friend. And thank _you_ for calling me by my real name. You're the first."

"Moving on…let's just go and get this done." Without another word, all four (including Issun) went through the glowing white portal at the foot of the tree that had grown when Sakuya had disappeared. What they didn't see was someone watching them curiously, emerald eyes glinting in the semi-light of the portal, blade glimmering on his back before cracking his knuckles, chuckling darkly to himself and entering the portal himself.

XO

As the light faded, everyone looked around in awe. The swirling sky of terror had been replaced by a peaceful heavenly patch of twinkling stars. There seemed to be no moon. It was very silent. The grass was luscious and soft under their feet. A soft and warm breeze blew past their fur. Water lay at the bottom of the grass-laden cliffs they were on, gently swirling a rich azure. Issun had his jaw open like a fish, struggling to find words until he finally managed to talk. "Where…are we? It got awfully quiet all of a sudden. I don't remember any place like this in the village. Well, we better keep our eyes peeled for some power to help us cut down that big 'ol fruit." He looked at the three. "Boy, you guys really look helpless. You sure you're going to be OK?" Everyone took this offensively.

"I think the one who is helpless is you, little bug." Issun jumped onto Amaterasu's head, red with anger.

"Are ya gonna keep callin' me that!?"

"Yep, and you can't do anything to stop me." She smirked, only to feel something sharp penetrate her scalp. Obviously Issun had used his sword to get a bit of revenge, even if that sword was only as sharp and long as a needle. She grabbed him in her hand, with him violently resisting. "Alright, you asked for this." She shoved the bug in her mouth, face screwing up in disgust at the ink taste but eventually decided enough was enough after she got a few pricks to the insides of her cheeks. She then spat him out. "I hate doing that but at least it teaches you a lesson."

"Ugh, yuck!" Issun shook the saliva from his cloak. "The great Issun…"

"Yeah, we know what you are going to say. Here." Silver interrupted, placing the small creature onto his fur, where Issun snuggled in a type of cute way, obviously liking the softness of the hedgehog's fur. "Now, Ama…ama…sorry, I can't pronounce your name." He felt awkward.

"How about Ammy for short? Or furball." Issun joked. Silver considered only the first option.

"It works. Ammy it is. Now Ammy can't eat you without MY say-so."

"Thanks fluffball. Y'hear that Ammy? I have a better lop of fur to lie on now so ha-ha to you!" He laughed. Amaterasu only turned away, rolling her eyes with no-one watching.

"…Stop being annoying, Issun."

"Next time he goes over the top, can I kill him?" Shadow asked, with Amaterasu gasping and looking at Shadow cautiously.

"Heavens, no. Killing is a bit over the top. We'll just stuff him in a molehill or something."

"What did I do to deserve this type of life?" Issun sat down, moping until something caught his interest. "Hold on! That's an Origin Mirror! They say once your reflection appears on its surface...your memories will be stored in the mirror for all eternity!" Shadow and Silver exchanged humoured glances.

"Video game save point?"

"Definitely."

"Speak nothing of it?"

"Yep."

"What are you two whispering about?" Amaterasu hissed suspiciously as she stepped onto the Origin Mirror. Everyone did the same.

"Nothing."

"Doesn't matter." Silver then noticed pots lying around, almost in a nice decorative fashion. Memories of playing Legend of Zelda came to him as he grinned. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Going all Link-crazy on them?" Shadow instantly guessed, maliciously grinning. "Bet I'll break more than you!" He ran off to begin.

"Not fair! You're faster than me!" Silver called after him, also beginning to smash the pottery. Amaterasu only watched with a hand over her face as she sighed in resignation.

"Honestly. Bulls in a china shop."

"They're kids, Ammy. Let them have some fun." Issun had jumped onto Ammy's head.

"Guess so." The two came back, money in their arms, which confused the entire group.

"Why do people leave yen in pots? Good luck?"

"We got 100 yen here. Not too shabby…but where are we gonna keep it?" Everyone thought before Amaterasu smiled and offered to hold the money.

"I'll hold onto it." The money vanished the moment she held it. "It's in goddess-space. I'll draw it out when we need to buy supplies."

"It's like Amy's hammer-space."

"Amy? Who is that, Shadow?"

"Sonic's self-proclaimed girlfriend." Silver answered for Shadow.

"Even though I have no interest in her." A new voice called, making them all jump. They looked around wildly before they saw a figure on a platform a bit above them, sitting on an orange fence, a grin on his face but not of the nice kind. It was Sonic. Shadow and Silver instantly noticed the change in appearance. "You've done a number on these poor pottery vases. Vandals. The lot of ya."

"You!" Amaterasu screamed, getting into a battle position. "I knew you'd find us eventually!"

"Sonic!? How did…!?" Shadow began. Sonic only laughed. Again, it wasn't a nice one.

"Saw you go through the portal. I just followed."

"On Orochi's orders?" The goddess guessed, earning a couple of shocked and bamboozled looks. Sonic didn't show any surprise. In fact, his grin stayed cemented on his face.

"Heh, so you guessed? Not too shabby."

"Y-You're seriously working for Orochi?" Shadow stuttered, barely able to comprehend the idea. Sonic shrugged.

"Surprised much?"

"Well, yeah! You're not…well…I mean, you're not exactly…you-know…evil…" Silver struggled to get his words out. Sonic's grin faded for a split-second before an out-of-character hysterical laugh came from him, one that made shivers run down everyone's spines.

"Seriously? THAT'S the way you're gonna turn me back to the weak useless mortal I was before?" He laughed again, jumping down so he was only a few metres from the group. "Considering how you two betrayed me, me working for that serpent shouldn't be THAT much of a surprise." Shadow and Silver only blinked blankly. This was what surprised Sonic, but not in a good way. He felt rage fill him. "Really? You're gonna feign innocence?"

"They don't remember, Sonic. Only I do. I'm not gonna let you or Orochi defile Nippon anymore!" She pulled out her Divine Instrument, only for Sonic to do the same. A silver glowing sword swirling in a golden and mystical mist formed in his hand, the glow seemingly innocently divine while in reality, to Amaterasu, it gave off bad vibes. "Is that…the Blade of the Moon?"

"A highly-crafted replica of it, yeah." Sonic nodded. "Orochi gave it to me alongside the Brush Techniques you wielded 100 years ago, Amaterasu…or do you prefer Ammy?"

"Back down, Sonic. There is no need to fight here. We can fight later at a different time and location, where we have more room."

"After you restore Kamiki? Not a chance!" He boosted towards the wolf, only for her to do an aerobatic backflip to dodge. This seemed to impress the hedgehog. "Heh, considering you've been stone for a solid century, you're quick, but no-one is quicker than me." He was able to lunge again but Shadow punched him in the jaw, making him skid backwards a bit. He glared at his older brother. "Come on, that hit was cheap!"

"Maybe you should stop beating up a girl. I would have thought you would have a bit more curtsey towards the ladies."

"Unlike you, I ain't a pervert. Also, sorry to burst your bubble, but the moment you cross me, you're my enemy. She's public enemy number 1! Unless you wanna be next, stay out of my way!" Time froze for a split second as Sonic pulled a small paintbrush out of his quills and drew a circle with a line coming out of it. His ink was a dark blue. A black bomb appeared and Shadow had no time to react. The bomb exploded, recoiling Shadow backwards. Bruises lay over his torso. Amaterasu watched in both horror and shock, clawed hands clenching.

"H-How…? Cherry Bomb can't really damage people!"

"Oh, right, your techniques are only dangerous to creatures of darkness. Hard luck, Ammy, but mine can cause enough destruction to render Nippon an inhabitable wasteland. My Boom Bomb can do a lot more than recoil someone. Check this out for instance." He drew a thunderbolt symbol in the sky above Amaterasu as the equivalent, a strong thunderbolt struck the ground, though Amaterasu managed to dodge, though the shockwave from the attack still hit her. Amusement danced in Sonic's eyes as he marvelled at the burn marks on the ground. "Electrostorm. Who needs Gekigami's technique?" He laughed at this as Amaterasu only growled. They sparred for a while; shield versus sword until both were huffing for breath. Eventually, Silver had had enough.

"OK, this is going too far!" A purple beaded whip formed in his hand and it latched around Sonic's left ankle, flinging him into the air and back down with great force, creating a very small crater as he staggered to his feet. "Regardless of what you think, you're outnumbered so go and get lost already!" Sonic only huffed at this and scratched behind his right ear.

"OK, Silv, OK. I know when I'm beat. Next time won't be so easy. I won't be showing you any mercy." He disappeared in a smoky teleport. Shadow gulped, shock in his crimson irises as his limbs went completely rigid.

"What has Orochi DONE to him!? Did you see his fur!?"

"I warned you…I tried to warn you…" Amaterasu sadly acknowledged, regaining most of her composure and she put her Divine Retribution away. It formed a disk on her back, like a turtle shell.

"We'll have to deal with him later." Silver resolved, strangely being able to keep calm. "Right now, we need to find some way to cut down that fruit."

"Yeah, you're right! Onwards and upwards as I always say!" Issun cheered, jumping manically. They continued around a bend but found themselves at a dead end.

"Oh great, now what?" Shadow growled.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on there, you three! Get a load of that! That chest looks mighty tempting. Let's go check it out. Getting up that high ought to be a piece of cake for ya all." Issun pointed to a treasure chest up on the ledge that led towards their beaten path. Shadow's shoulders sagged but he stepped a few paces backwards.

"Stand back." He ordered, running towards the rockface, jumping off it and doing a double-jump to get up near the chest, which he opened. A white bone flew out and hit him on the head like it had been on a spring but then vanished in the same manner that the yen from earlier did.

"That was a holy bone. It is said to be able to heal health." Issun explained.

"Let me guess, goddess-space?"

"Goddess-space." Amaterasu confirmed, joining him on the cliff face, with Silver following but got a helping hand from Shadow. He noticed more pots around the fence that Sonic was sitting on when he made his unexpected appearance.

"Can I bust more pots?" He asked, getting pumped again. Before Shadow could agree, Issun shook his head (though no-one could see this because of his unfortunate size).

"No." He shot back, making Silver whine in disappointment. "In terms of treasure, if we wanna get more, guess we should adapt the saying "good luck is found in high places"." A bad thing caught his beady eyes: a broken bridge. The middle of it had crumbled away, possibly either done by Sonic or just by time. "Uh-oh…Looks like the bridge is out. This shouldn't be so hard for Issun's magnificent brush! Ever heard of the spirits of the brush, furballs? That no-good brother of yours told us about them. Good brushwork has its own soul, 'least that's what they say. Just watch. It'd take all day to explain... A picture's worth a thousand words, right?" He drew out a paintbrush of his own and effectively scribbled across the broken bridge. Black swirly mist covered it before it formed again, now as good as new. "Nice, huh? Just a little technique I've mastered called Rejuvenation. It's one of many brush techniques that use divine power. It's a brush god power that can restore broken or missing things. I've practiced really hard just to master this one technique. But there are 13! Each one is a power of one of the 13 brush gods. Originally, all 13 were a single powerful deity. When the deity died, its power was split into 13 separate gods. The gods now dwell within objects all around us, but... God or no god, how could anyone have the power to master all 13!?"

"Apparently Sonic does." Amaterasu growled. Shadow thought back to the explosive "Boom Bomb" and the "Electrostorm" techniques he used.

"Darker versions though."

"Look here…" Amaterasu was reading a sign made of stone next to a mystical river, a part of it near the bank shimmering royal blue and gold. ""River of the Heavens"…do they mean the starlight river of ancient legend?"

"I don't see a river that would match that description Ammy…but I DO see a mini puddle that contains something like stardust."

"It's the Puddle of Heavens!" Shadow boomed dramatically in an announcement-like voice, instantly laughing afterwards despite the dark look from the wolf goddess.

"That sounds familiar."

"It's from YouTube, you idiot."

"Anyway, now where do we go? Up onto the hill and rest for a bit? We can't cross the river without mending it."

"Eh, why not? Not like we can just fill in the river with Rejuvenation…oh wait…" He tried rejuvenating the river himself. To the Mobians, he did it perfectly. However, the ink ran away as if water had made it run and the river stayed a puddle. He had question marks appearing over his head in an anime fashion. "Hey, why didn't it work!?

"Maybe you're doing it all wrong."

"Never you mind, furball! Let's just go up to that hill. "The group did so, astounded at how bright the stars now were. "Wow, look at those stars twinkle! I haven't seen a night sky like this in ages." He peered at the sky. Several blue stars shone, casting a silver light on the hill like a small spotlight. "Hang on, do I see a constellation? Looks like it's missing a star…well, considering my brush ain't workin' right now, one of ya furballs will have to do it. Uh…hey, Fluffy, you try." He was addressing Shadow.

"It's Shadow, not Fluffy. And how can I?" He looked a bit lost.

"When Sonic drew that bomb, he had some sort of paintbrush…" Silver recalled.

"This thing? I was wondering why I didn't have an urge to throw it away." He pulled his own brush from his black and red quills. "Alright…" He drew a dot on where he thought the last one would be, his own ink coloured a light red. The missing star filled in and the constellation glowed as a dragon with six arms, each carrying a coloured orb in each clawed hand flew down, his tail wrapped in a parchment scroll. His eyes were red but not of the evil kind. He had the same white body colour and red divine markings as Amaterasu. He floated in front of them as the area around them began heavenly gold.

"Ah... Why, if it isn't mother Amaterasu." The god began, his voice deep and wise. "I apologize for not contacting you sooner during these long years. Having never forgotten you, I, Yomigami, god of restoration, have eagerly awaited this day when we could meet again. While you were away, the 13 spirits of the brush that you once possessed, including myself, have been scattered across this land of men, and now lie in disarray. I became a constellation and managed to survive until now. The time has come for you to seek out and reunite all the techniques. Your power is what is needed to restore the dried riverbed of the heavens and renew the flow of stardust." His form dissipated into 3 orbs that floated into the three, each of their spirits filling with strength and new power.

"That was Yomigomi, god of restoration! Does that mean you three have rejuvenation now? We can use that to restore the river! Come on, furballs!" Issun hopped towards the river in a rush, clearly excited. The two hedgehogs sighed.

"He sure is impatient."

"He's like Sonic in a lot of ways."

"Do you really think he's…?" Shadow was stumped at this. He didn't want to believe it. His own brother, evil of all things. He did a second sigh.

"I really hope this is all some big misunderstanding. The last thing I want to do is hurt him."

"He has chosen a dark path, you two. Nothing can change that now." Amaterasu sadly explained, her eyes misting over. "Once we find out the truth to all this, then we can save him from Orochi." They came to the river and Amaterasu pulled out her own paintbrush from her kimono. "Alright, let's restore the river!" She filled it in easy, her ink being black like Issun's. "Come on." They all dived in and emerged out the other side soaking wet. Amaterasu then noticed another treasure chest and opened it. A white sachet of some sort fell out and when it disappeared into goddess-space, she suddenly felt very…hungry.

"Whoa, an Astral Pouch! If we fill it up with food, it'll revive you if you happen to…well, you know…die." He stuttered on the last part. Issun didn't want to consider death as an option, though he knew this journey was going to involve a lot of death-defying stunts.

"Does that count everyone?" Shadow asked. He meant him and Silver. Issun tapped his chin and nodded.

"I would assume so."

"OK…but we have another portal." Silver pointed out. Shadow's ears drooped.

"How much further have we gotta go?"

"Oh, stop whining stripes." Amaterasu snarled, entering the portal. Shadow growled and ran after her, his fangs bared.

"STOP CALLING ME STRIPES!"

"Man, amateurs…" Silver sweat-dropped, a nervous smile on his face. Issun nodded in agreement, having changed heads again.

"You said it…" With a final eye-roll, Silver entered the portal after the two.

XO

The next area had more wildlife. The night sky was still above, but now trees dotted the landscape like a forest. They were facing a hill laden with stone steps and it started with a Japanese-styled gate. "This place is getting weirder and weirder…" Amaterasu gaped, taking in the change in scenery. The only thing that didn't change was the peaceful silence like before.

"Almost looks like the Forbidden Forest…only…bit more fairy-tale oriented." Shadow described. Silver could sense another fight was going to break out and ran up ahead, decided to no longer get involved with Shadow and Amaterasu's disagreements.

"Whatever."

"Whoa, whoa, fluffball! Slow down!" Issun screamed, hanging on for dear life.

"What's eating him?" Amaterasu asked, flicking her albino hair out of her face.

"I've never fully understood Silver."

"Question: are you and your brothers triplets? You do all look alike…" She mused.

"No. I'm the eldest at 18. Silver's youngest at 14 and Sonic's in the middle at 16."

"WE'RE WAITING!" Came an annoyed yell from Silver.

"Duty calls." The two ran up the hill and Amaterasu noticed Silver was not only dripping wet again, but he had something in his hand. "What's that?" Silver showed the item. It was a bronze bead, about the size of his palm.

"I found this."

"Looks like a stray bead." Issun deducted.

"A what?" Amaterasu stared at the wisp.

"They say a powerful pendant was made out of 100 of these small beads. They must have been scattered across Nippon…"

 _OK…so if we're in a game, we officially have 1% completion._ Shadow thought to himself, mentally twitching with annoyance. If this was only 1, where were the other 99!?

"Shall we investigate the cave?" Silver pointed to a cave entrance further up the hill. Everyone nodded at this.

"Might as well." As they did enter the cave, a barrier of wooden logs came down, lodging in holes in the ground like some mechanism, trapping all four of them inside the cave.

"Ah!" Silver jumped at the sound of the gate closing. "Oh, brilliant…"

"Don't be a wuss, Silv." Shadow nudged Silver's shoulder, which he didn't take kindly to.

"Honesty, you two bicker like children." Amaterasu scolded.

"Ahem? We're teenagers, actually and you only see us that way because you're a goddess with no set age!"

"We only have 1 of the 13 techniques and you three are already doin' my head in!" Issun quickly broke up the argument. He looked around. Standing in the middle of the room was a large humanoid statue of a man holding a sword. Thing was, the sword had crumbled away. "Whoa…check out that statue! This must be the Cave of Nagi, furballs! Boy, this place is a wreck! See? His sword's in really bad shape. The gods haven't done much to protect the place."

"It's literally giving the answer to us." Silver pulled out a brush and rejuvenated the sword, covering it in his amber-coloured ink. It quickly filled it and made the sword complete again.

"Whoa, nice going fluffball! You guys are good, exactly who are you anyway?" It was a rhetorical question, but before he got an answer, the same spotlight from when they met Yomigami lit their dull faces. More blue stars also appeared. "Hey, it's another constellation!"

"Allow me." Amaterasu offered and filled in the star, making a small rat goddess appeared. Out of nowhere, she pulled out a massive iron sword and swung it around in her jaw like it weighed like a feather. She sat on top of the sword's helm as she addressed the four.

"Well, well, well... If it isn't mother Amaterasu." She began, her voice meek and high-pitched, probably due to her size. "It's been a long time. But with all these monsters around, the only place I could hide was in this shrine dedicated to ancient heroes. If there is anything I can do to assist you in your endeavours, I'm at your service. Make good use of this sword, as it was designed to conquer evil." She also split into three orbs.

"Hey, that was the god, Tachigami, master of the Power Slash technique. Wait a minute Ammy. If you're getting all these powers... Then you're just like that Shiranui! You know, the wolf who fought and died alongside the great Nagi. When Shiranui died, the wolf's power was split into the 13 brush gods. This is crazy. Shiranui and Nagi? It's just like the legend. Well, anyway, I've never seen this Power Slash technique myself. How 'bout showing your stuff off on that boulder over there? Lemme see you slice it in half by drawing a single line! I won't believe it till I see it!" He sounded adamant.

"You want a power slash?" The goddess challenged and easily slashed a rock in two. Issun watched with wide eyes.

"Wow! I didn't think you had it in ya, furball! I'm not even in the same league as you! Guess I really overestimated myself. ... ... Hey, furballs... Er... I mean, Amaterasu, Shadow and Silver... I've made up my mind! If Ammy is Shiranui reborn and you two are heroes from another world, then that means you three can master all 13 techniques, right? If that blue brother of yours can use them, you can too! In that case, I think I'll tag along until I'm as good as you! Lucky you!" He burrowed into Silver's fur to see if he was making the right decision. He only laughed as he came back out, seemingly in a good mood. "Heh... It's no use tryin' to change my mind. There's no stoppin' me once I've made a decision! But enough about me! Now that you've mastered the Power Slash, you can cut down that thing Sakuya was talking about. Let's go back and give it a shot!"

"Er…lucky us…?" Shadow said, not convinced.

"Personally, I'm fine with Issun tagging along." Silver smiled.

"This is gonna be a long journey, I can tell…" Amaterasu sighed, power slashing the barrier and heading back down the hill with the other two on her heels. As they reached the area where Silver had found the stray bead, a barrier came up, surrounding them, and two demons in green uniforms and paper masks popped up, blow darts on their backs. They sounded like monkeys.

"Uh-oh! Imps! These guys look like they mean business. We better give them a taste of their own medicine. Time to let rip!" Issun rallied as the three ran forward. Since only two imps had appeared, Shadow and Silver worked together while

"Too right!" He kicked the imp in the chest and punched its masked face. It turned grey suddenly; stars' swirling around its head like it was dizzy.

"It's stunned! Now to Power Slash it into oblivion!"

"With pleasure!" Silver attacked with his rosary and power slashed it just as it was dying. A blue horn formed and bounced onto the ground, which disappeared into goddess-space when he went to pick it up. Amaterasu finished off the other imp soon after in the same manner. "Phew, that was actually quite satisfying."

"How come you two have weapons and I don't?" Shadow complained. Silver saw something and sweat-dropped.

"Uh…check your back, bro." Shadow did so, sweat-dropping himself when he saw a golden blade on his back, the helm being black. Amaterasu looked amazed.

"I-Is that…Yumegari?"

"Yumegari?" Shadow repeated.

"It was a divine weapon belonging to the ruler of the Celestials, who live in Heaven. It's said to have the innate ability to destroy and purify any evil. As for Silver, it seems you have the rosary known as the Faith Beads."

"That's cool and all, but moving on! We better get back to their fruit!"

"Wow, you found 2 techniques back-to-back?" It was Sonic's voice. He was sitting on a low tree branch, fascination in his green eyes that definitely looked darker than before the whole teleportation event.

"Oh, come on! You've already recovered!?" He pulled out his Faith Beads, grimacing in determination. "Bring it on!"

"You barely hit me and it was a pretty lame and cheap shot, Silv. Besides, I used lots of my power destroying Nippon so I was at a disadvantage." He shrugged at this but Shadow's face turned red in anger.

"I can't believe you talk about destruction so casually!"

"Says the guy who almost let aliens destroy Mobius." Sonic shot back. Shadow looked away, defeated.

"We promised to never bring that up again." He muttered.

"History aside, what do you want? To get beaten up again?" Amaterasu wondered, reaching for her divine weapon, surprised when she got a small genuine laugh and a shake of the head.

"Fighting is an option…but I didn't willingly go against Orochi's orders for nothing. I came here to offer you a little tip."

"Go on." Amaterasu pushed, intrigued.

"I happen to know where all the other Brush Gods are…"

"Let me guess, you're not gonna tell us…" She interrupted, guessing what he was going to say. He was about to retort but Issun stalled that thought.

"That's it! I've had enough of you, furry. I'm gonna cut you down with my sword Denkomaru!" He hopped up the tree and slashed Sonic's arm with his needle sword, making him screech.

"Issun, don't!" Shadow's warning was too late. Angered, Sonic flicked Issun into the river below, wiping the blood that was trickling down his skin.

"Lame little bug…"

"Oh no…" Amaterasu gasped as she dived in after Issun, emerging with the little wisp in her hand, coughing to get air into his lungs.

"Bleck…I hate the taste of river water. Thanks furball." He got a nod of appreciation and she placed him on Silver's head (because she knew that is what Issun wanted). Sonic had been silent during this, concentrating on making the cut on his arm stop bleeding and it had by now. He noticed the exchange finishing and only smirked.

"Serves you right, little bug."

"I AM NOT A BUG!" Issun raged.

"Oh? You look like one."

"I WEAR A BUG HELMET, OK!? I'M A PONCLE!"

"What's a Poncle?" Shadow asked Issun.

"Call it a miniature human."

"Like I care." Sonic ended the argument. "Anyway, as I was gonna say before SOMEONE interrupted me, I will tell you where they are."

"Hang on one heavenly minute. What do _you_ get out of this?" A malicious grin crossed Sonic's face, a shadow casting on his eyes that made his irises glow evilly. It wasn't a good look; one that was freaking the two hedgehogs out.

"Entertainment, my dear Ammy, entertainment at your failures and flunks." His voice was strangely calm and quiet, but no doubt full of sadistic glee. "Anyway, you already have Yomigami and Tachigami's techniques and Ammy happens to be a Brush God herself, wielding the technique known as Sunrise. Here are a few clues to each god: Sakigami lies within a broken tree, Hasugami will only rise when a home has been reborn, Bakugami will realight when the sparks explode in the night sky, Tsutagami is in the nest of a Queen Spider, Nuregami lies among the bamboo inn, Yumegami creeps along water missing its reflection, Kazegami is trapped among the darkened gales, Moegami is in the clutches of the monster among monsters, Kasugami is in the mitts of one of the rulers of the city, Kabegami is at the top of a tall tower, Gekigami is awaiting you abroad a location shrouded in evil and mystery and Itegami is frozen in a machine producing the mightiest of blizzards. See, hints. Have fun." He disappeared again, leaving four people with mouths hanging open comically.

"That. Made. Zero. Sense!" Shadow raged, smashed a tree with a punch, making Silver wince.

"I do hate riddles…but at least he was kind enough to give us SOME hints."

"Ignore him. We have a village to restore." The gang headed back to the first portal (fighting more imps along the way) and eventually entered the first portal.

XO

"I didn't miss this place…" Silver shivered as the harsh wind hit him like a hurricane, making his fur fluff out to keep him warm. Issun liked that. He just burrowed in it more. The sky was the same as before. Nothing had improved. Good thing was things hadn't gotten worse.

"Time to cut down that fruit!" Amaterasu called, power slashing the fruit down with one swift wave of her hand. It hit the floor and blossoms formed, moving throughout the land like a wave, creating trees, scenery and people that had been consumed by the darkness. As the light cleared, they were faced by a steep downhill path that led to a clearing. A platform facing Konohana was up on another hill and another path led to the actual village. Unbloomed trees dotted the land here and there and water surrounded the village alongside some islands. Shadow stared in awe alongside the other members of the group.

"Wow…"

"Wow is right. Sakuya came through big time! She really was protecting the village. Let's go talk to the villagers!" The gang began heading down the hill but Amaterasu stopped, looking around. Something wasn't right. The land and scenery had an eerie green glow to them and the sky was still pitch black, with no sun, stars or moon to be seen. Not to mention Konohana lacked the blossoms she had imagined. It was almost like all life was dead.

"Why do I have a feeling something is wrong…"


End file.
